Margins
Great Catherine book cover
Great Catherine
1997
First Published
3.51
Average Rating
49
Number of Pages

The plot focuses on Catherine as she navigates the intricacies of her imperial role and her personal desires. In Shaw's version, Catherine is depicted as a strong-willed, intelligent, and somewhat eccentric ruler, who is not just concerned with the politics of her empire but also with matters of the heart. The play dramatizes her relationship with Prince Potemkin, a prominent figure in Russian politics, as well as her complex interactions with those around her, including her courtiers, generals, and lovers. Through Great Catherine, Shaw presents a comic yet insightful portrayal of the tension between personal desires and the responsibilities of power. The play uses Shaw's signature wit and clever dialogue to explore themes of love, loyalty, and political ambition. Shaw also delves into the complexities of Catherine's character, showing her as both a shrewd and calculating ruler, as well as a passionate and vulnerable woman. The play ultimately asks questions about the nature of power, the cost of leadership, and the ways in which personal relationships intersect with public life.

Avg Rating
3.51
Number of Ratings
72
5 STARS
22%
4 STARS
25%
3 STARS
39%
2 STARS
10%
1 STARS
4%
goodreads

Author

George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
Author · 97 books

George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright, socialist, and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama. Over the course of his life he wrote more than 60 plays. Nearly all his plays address prevailing social problems, but each also includes a vein of comedy that makes their stark themes more palatable. In these works Shaw examined education, marriage, religion, government, health care, and class privilege. An ardent socialist, Shaw was angered by what he perceived to be the exploitation of the working class. He wrote many brochures and speeches for the Fabian Society. He became an accomplished orator in the furtherance of its causes, which included gaining equal rights for men and women, alleviating abuses of the working class, rescinding private ownership of productive land, and promoting healthy lifestyles. For a short time he was active in local politics, serving on the London County Council. In 1898, Shaw married Charlotte Payne-Townshend, a fellow Fabian, whom he survived. They settled in Ayot St. Lawrence in a house now called Shaw's Corner. He is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938). The former for his contributions to literature and the latter for his work on the film "Pygmalion" (adaptation of his play of the same name). Shaw wanted to refuse his Nobel Prize outright, as he had no desire for public honours, but he accepted it at his wife's behest. She considered it a tribute to Ireland. He did reject the monetary award, requesting it be used to finance translation of Swedish books to English. Shaw died at Shaw's Corner, aged 94, from chronic health problems exacerbated by injuries incurred by falling.

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